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Bread density

January 16, 2012 - 6:49am

rocky_creek@hug...

Bread density

If I take a plain bread recipe that weighs 1.2 pounds it should fit in a 1 pound loaf pan and weigh 1 pound after cooking, from what I have read. My question is, if I add to that recipe 2 oz sugar, 1 oz dry milk, one egg ( 1.65 oz), 1 oz butter, it then weights approkimately 1.45 pounds going in. But will the volume increase so that a 1 pound loaf pan would be to small?'

Should I just be paying attention to the volume of flour instead of weight?

If you add the egg and butter, it will increase the dough's hydration, so you will probably need to add more flour as well to get the same dough hydration as the original recipe. That said, your dough will weigh more and probably not fit well in the 1 lb. loaf pan. You may need to use a larger loaf pan (5 x 9 instead of 8 x 4 inch pan). Also, the egg and butter will probably affect the bread crumb - making it more tender. The other alternative is to reduce the liquid in the recipe to accomodate the increase caused by the egg and butter. Just my thoughts on the matter.

But when you're crafting your own dough recipes, the only way you'll know what fits the pan is to go ahead and try it. I'd recommend erring on the side of using a dough portion that's maybe too small by a smidge, and then gradually using a bigger portion during future bakes if you think that's appropriate.

BTW, if you're comparing two different dough formulas, then it is unlikely that one pound of "Dough A" will give you exactly the same volume as "Dough B." So keep precise notes about how much of "A" works well in any given pan, and then separate notes on "B", "C", and so on. That way you're more likely to produce pan loaves that have similar volume on a consistent basis.

Thanks, that is exactly what I wah doing, taking a sourdough poolish, and combining it with another recipe. I just got the Bosch compact mixer and added a little dough toward the end. It's rising now, so far so good.

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